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2018 was a busy one. Work was crazy, my husband and I adopted a puppy, and I had seven weddings to attend, two of which I was in, which meant bachelorette parties, bridal showers and more. It was a very exciting and super-busy year! My schedule was packed and it took its toll on my health. I was stressed out, I wasn’t exercising, sleeping all that great or making healthy eating a priority, and I had all these extra opportunities to eat and drink just a bit more than my body needed. With that, came 15 extra pounds, a little more stress and a bad attitude.
Skimping on Fruit & Veggies Right Now? Me Too. Here’s Why It’s Okay
The months carried on and at some point I noticed my pants were not as tight as they used to be. I hopped on the scale and was down more than just a few pounds—15 to be exact. Like, what? It seemed like a lot for not doing all that much. I still wasn’t exercising, keeping track of calories (not that I’d ever do that anyway), making drastic changes to what I was eating or giving up my nightly glass (or two) of red wine. But, still, I had lost weight. I thought back on the past months and the only thing that had really changed was thatI was eating more carbs—specifically high-fiber whole grains.
Why Eating More Carbs Helped Me Lose Weight
Pictured recipe:Chopped Rainbow Salad Bowls with Peanut Sauce
Whole grains, like brown rice, quinoa, bulgur and whole-wheat pasta, are carbohydrate-rich foods packed with fiber. Fiber hasmany amazing health benefits, from boosting gut bacteria to decreasing diabetes risk and, in my case, making it easier to lose weight. Fiber-rich carbs, like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils, help to fill you up and keep you feeling full for longer. Fiber is indigestible, so it takes your body a while to pass it through your digestive system, helping to maintain that full feeling. And, interestingly, fiber can bind with some of the glucose and fat in foods, meaning you pass those calories out with the fiber, rather than absorbing them.
Read More:Top High-Fiber Foods You Need in Your Life
What I Ate to Lose Weight
I was making this one recipe a ton, theNoodle Bowl with Rainbow Veggies & Peanut Sauce— mainly because of the oh-so-delicious peanut sauce you drizzle on top—and subbing in brown rice for the rice noodles to give the meal an extra fiber boost. I was eating a variation of this chopped salad bowl often for lunch or dinner, mixing up the veggies and dressing and eventually switching from brown rice to quicker-cooking bulgur (like in the recipe pictured above), which also deliveredmore protein. Some weeks, I only got as far as making a big pot of bulgur to throw in whatever I was bringing for lunch or to serve alongside dinner. And at some point, for no particular reason other than it tasted good, I started adding granola to my breakfast yogurt, which I noticed not only made me enjoy my breakfast more, but also helped carry me through to lunch.
Read More:The #1 Food to Help You Lose Weight, According to a Dietitian
How I Lost Even More Weight
The Bottom Line
Beyond just losing weight, I felt better all-around. I was more regular and had fewer days where I felt bloated and uncomfortable, I had more energy during the day (especially after lunch), and I was in a much better mood. I know life will always have its ups and downs and I’m guaranteed to have even harder years ahead. But knowing I can rely on eating more fiber-rich carbs as a strategy to stay healthy—in addition to making it a priority to stress less and stay active when I can—makes it all seem much less intimidating.If you’re looking to lose weight, instead of hard-to-follow and restrictive diets like keto and whole30, Ihighlyencourage you to try adding in more high-fiber whole grains and other high-fiber foods. And remember—healthy weight loss is 1- to 2-pounds per week. If you lose too much too quickly, you’re likely to gain that weight back.
Healthy Ways to Eat More Carbs Each Day
If you’re looking to lose weight, improve your gut health, ward off diabetes, heart disease and more, rather trying to eatless(or cutting out entire food groups altogether), focus instead on eatingmoreof the foods that deliver good-for-you fiber. Try these recipes (some of my personal favorites) and give meal prep a chance, if you’re not already doing so.
Don’t Miss!
Meal Prep Plans for Weight Loss
How Meal-Prep Can Help You Lose Weight
Healthy High-Fiber Recipes
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